Trump's Former Hush Money Lawyer Now in Charge of Epstein Files Release
Todd Blanche, the former lead defense attorney for Donald Trump during his historic hush money trial, has been appointed as the acting attorney general of the United States. This pivotal role places him directly in charge of overseeing the Department of Justice's legally mandated release of documents related to the investigations of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
From Courtroom Defender to Top Prosecutor
Blanche, who was sworn in as deputy attorney general just weeks after appearing alongside Trump at his criminal sentencing in Manhattan, will assume the duties of the Office of Attorney General following the departure of Pam Bondi. Bondi, another former personal attorney to Trump, is leaving the administration for what she described as an important private sector role, transferring her responsibilities to Blanche over the next month.
"Pam Bondi led this Department with strength and conviction and I'm grateful for her leadership and friendship," Blanche stated. "Thank you to President Trump for the trust and the opportunity to serve as Acting Attorney General. We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe."
A History of Defending the President
Blanche steered Trump's defense across multiple high-profile criminal cases in New York, Florida, and Washington D.C. His most notable role was as the lead attorney in the 2024 hush money trial, where a unanimous jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. The case centered on a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, orchestrated by Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, to silence her story during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Beyond the hush money case, Blanche also represented Trump in federal investigations concerning alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the unlawful retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. These cases were closed by former special counsel Jack Smith following Trump's election victory.
Scrutiny Over Epstein Document Handling
Blanche's new authority over the Epstein files has ignited intense scrutiny from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Last summer, he authored a memo asserting there was "no basis" for releasing additional materials from the federal government's investigations into Epstein, concluding that "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."
In July, Blanche conducted a prison interview with Epstein's longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking young women and girls. During the interview, Maxwell stated she "never saw" Trump engage in any "inappropriate" behavior. She was subsequently transferred to a lower-security facility in Texas.
Purge of Trump Investigators
Since joining the Justice Department, Blanche has remained a steadfast ally to his former client. At the Conservative Political Action Conference last month, he boasted that the DOJ had "cleaned up shop" by firing dozens of career prosecutors and federal agents involved in investigations against Trump.
"There is not a single man or woman with a gun — federal agent — still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution of President Trump," he declared.
His tenure has also seen controversial actions, including dismissing Erez Reuveni from the Office of Immigration Litigation after Reuveni admitted a wrongful deportation, disbanding the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, and suggesting federal racketeering charges for anti-Trump protesters.
Rewarding Loyalty
Blanche is part of a broader pattern within the Trump administration, where former personal attorneys have been appointed to key governmental positions. This group includes Emil Bove, now a federal appellate court judge; D. John Sauer, the government's top lawyer who argued for Trump's immunity at the Supreme Court; and Harmeet Dhillon, chief of the Civil Rights Division.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, along with former U.S. Attorneys Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan, have also been rewarded with significant roles after defending the president through numerous legal battles.
A veteran of prestigious law firms and a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Blanche founded his own firm, Blanche Law, in the same month Trump was arraigned on criminal charges in Manhattan. He spent the subsequent two years as Trump's primary defender in courtrooms across the nation, a role that has now catapulted him to one of the most powerful positions in American law enforcement.
